Difference between revisions of "Palolem"

Revision as of 15:57, 26 December 2012

Palolem is a village in South Goa, India.

Understand

Palolem is one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Goa. It is a natural bay surrounded by lofty headlands on either sides, resulting in a calm, idyllic sea with a gently sloping bed which allows you to walk up to 100 m out from the beach.

Unfortunately Palolem has been saturated by travellers, hawkers and over priced sellers: it is sometimes difficult to walk up the beach at high tide due to the restaurants jutting into the cresting waves and you will certainly be asked about your plans for dinner a few times.

Get in

The easiest way to get to Palolem is to take the train or fly to Margao (locally known as Madgaon) and pay for a Government approved fixed-price taxi to Palolem. Fixed-price taxis are available from the train station and from Goa Dabolim Airport(GOI) at Vasco da Gama.

Alternatively, Canacona is Palolem's nearest train station, approximately 5 minutes drive away, but for shorter journeys from other parts of India it is almost always better to arrive by bus due to the remoteness of the train station from Palolem beach.

Backpackers may also take a State Transport bus from Margao Bus Stand to Canacona or Palolem. It takes around 90 minutes. If you alight at Canacona bus station, you can take an autorickshaw or taxi to Palolem Beach which is only about 3 km. The journey by bus is comfortable and the route is a scenic one too. However do keep in mind that local buses in Goa are not air-conditioned and at times quite dusty. It is possible to walk from the bus station to Palolem, but might not be the ideal option on a hot sunny day.

Get around

Palolem is quite small, so easy to explore on foot. Mopeds and bicycles are available for hire on the main street.

Taxis and rickshaws are also readily available on the main street or though a travel agency. Day trips can be booked through agencies.

See

Sunset view from Palolem beach

Stone sculpture on top of the Palolem Island by Jacek Tylicki

Cotigao wildlife sanctuary is a good day trip from palolem. you can also ride along the narrow but beautiful coastal road northwards to visit agonda beach and still further north cabo da rama(a ruined fort on a cliff)

Do

Beach

Palolem Beach

Take a walk to Monkey Island... You will spot this island to your right on entering the beach... you can walk along the beach and across some rocks during low tide and reach the island, during high tide water covers and makes it impossible to walk across. The island has a network of trails to explore and the more adventurous can traverse the rocks on the periphery of the island. Make sure you carry your water bottle and be careful, people have injured themselves walking over these rocks.

Further on to the right is Butterfly Beach. You'll need a boat to get there but worth a trip for a change of scenery. It has a very steep beach, so deep that you can dive in from the waters edge if you time your dive correctly.

Further on still is Honeymoon Beach, a small strip of beach which generally brings you total seclusion. These islands are usually visited by couples who want get away from the prying eyes of tourists.

The best time for a boat ride to these islands is either in the morning at 07:00 or in the evening around 17:00 when you can see the setting sun from the boat. You need to bargain really hard with the boatsman to strike a good deal , there are quite a few guys running these boats and it would be best to talk to 3-4 guys before you strike a deal , a good rate would be Rs 700-800 for a hour long ride.

Boat Ride on Palolem Beach

Activities

Palolem is a small beach town but do take long walks (carry a torch/flashlight if walking along the beach at night!). If you happen to be there on a full moon night , its quite an experience stolling on the beach on a full moon night with the islands clearly visible in the moon light,you will find people partying late into the night upto 2 - 03:00 in the morning .Immediately to the south of Palolem, which gets busier every season, is the beautiful Columb Bay where you can stay in a comfortable yet eco friendly complex. Just beyond is Patnem beach which used to be much quieter than Palolem but has a few guest houses and beach shacks.

You can take a boat ride in the river joining the sea on northern side of the Palolem beach.

Very quiet and more in the 1960s than in the 21st c (thank goodness). No Jet Skis - no rip-offs or touts - very good locals who make this a unique place in India - one that the authorities could learn a lot from - more the sort of place you come to compose music on the beach.

From Palolem you can find some outdoor sport as :

• Scuba diving ( near Palolem Guest house )
• Canyoning and trekking tour ( book at Casa Fiesta restaurant )
• Rent self-paddle sea kayak boat(in samson`s kiosk)

Other activities

Arabian night on Palolem beach

• Take a boat trip to see Dolphins, best time is sunset and sunrise, great boat crew near the Church on the right hand side.
• Day trip to Dudhsagar Falls (Sea of Milk) which are in the top 100 highest falls in the world.
• Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary
• A visit to the spice farms.
• A day trip to Karwar. The drive is nice, though hot during the day. Just before entering Karwar town, the Kali Bridge offers awesome views of the idylic Karwar Beach, especially from a "Fort" in ruins (acually a recreation point, possibly developed by local municipality. This spot is on the north end of the bridge and has flight of stairs going almost 15.2 m.
• Take a fishing boat ride with local fishermen

Spend a day in Agonda 20 km north of Palolem, very quiet beach. Further north there is an old fort (Cap de Rama) and beautiful views as you drive over the hills.

• Yoga Classes - In Palolem you can find different yogaclasses around the beach. Arunachala Yoga Centre with the master Swami Dayanand gives classed 3 times a day in kundalini yoga aswell as teacher training. In a colourful Yoga Space Kranti Yoga Ashtanga Vinyasa has Drop In Class every morning(09:00) & afternoon(16:00) see signs from the Beach for Kranti Ashtanga Yoga behind Cuba Bar or from Brown Bread Restaurant. Kranti (the teacher)is very knowlegeable and has a charismatic personality his classes are not for the faint hearted but you will be totally exhilerated after it.

• Silent Noise-Party, Neptunes Point (south of the main-beach), [1]. THE alternative to the legendary but almost extinct goa-parties. Big crowds of party goers gather every saturday for serious partying and dancing to awesome tunes underneath the starry sky. You'll be handed wireless headphones with different channels to chose from.

Palolem Beach, November 2005

One of the most beautiful Goan beaches, although not as peaceful as it used to be (sometimes referred to as the Goan lost paradise). Palolem Beach is long beach now entirely filled with rooms and huts (150-400 Rs.) and restaurants, sometimes with live music. There's also a market for tourists. Walk the beach at night with a flashlight and you'll be amazed by crabs running away from you.

Buy

If you are part of the consumer rat race - a shoppaholic [sic] - this is not a great place for you - but there are great crafts people on the beaches (stone carvers, instrument makers etc). Be very firm but polite if you don't want their wares - they are much more polite and civilised than sellers on other Indian beaches - let's keep it that way! The situation has got worse in recent years though with the result that there are now far too many beach sellers. Your best bet is to compare their prices with what the shops are charging....generally the shops are cheaper. There are also many beggars, some are regulars who follow the tourist season and the tourists around, but giving 10 or 20 rupees to an old woman will not kill you.

On the beach front and inland there are many wonderful little music shops, spice shops and garment shops - some of which are mini bazaars. The hippy influence over the years means that they can let you chill out and choose rather than trying to hard sell you from the second you enter the store. Some of the stores are now onwed by westerners offering western labels at cheap but fixed prices.

There are no ATM's near the beach in Palolem. There is one that is 2 km away from the main stretch of restaurants and shops that the rickshaw drivers will take you to at a heightened charge (try to get 40 rupees there and back, but you may need to pay 60 or 70). This one has a surcharge of $4 though. The easiest thing to do is bring enough money with you. More shops, a Saturday market and several ATM's are a 10-minute drive away in the local town, Chaudi.

Eat

Some people are under the mis-apprehension that most of the food in Palolem is quite westernised. Actually most places serve both "international" food and Indian - so you have the choice. There are great curries and rotis/nan/chippati/rice almost everywhere and these are great and very cheap to live on. Being more sensitive to local needs and choosing local brands is more environmentally sound, means that you help the local economy more - your money doesn't just go on exports, halves the cost of your stay and give you a more Indian experience - so call for a King's, not a Fosters as so many embarrassing "westerners" do! Also remember that the chefs idea of an western dish may be slightly different than yours in some of the restaurants.

Local trade is mainly tourism and fishing - so it can be guaranteed that your fish dinner is straight from the sea. A good fish main course usually starts from 300Rs upwards.

Fernandes - just past the church on the right hand side of the beach, great indian food and tandori plus fairly cheap and fresh fish, a favourite for old regulars.

Palolem Beach Resort - Curries in Palolem tend to be quite lacklustre - but the Palolem Beach Resort does a great paneer butter masala and chana masala with garlic naan and rice. Chicken is great here too. The service is really poor and most of the focus is on foreign tourists, best avoided. The food quality is ok and serving size is quite genorous. One of the few places on the beach where there is a proper restaurant and clean washrooms and a proper kitchen. They also have a large wall mounted tv , which mostly plays football to cater to western tastes.

Cool Breeze - a jazz café that is quite popular with the locals, great food.

Sameer Restaurant - good breakfasts and their fish sizzlers are to die for. It's right on the beach, so fantastic views of the ocean.

• Café Inn, (on the main road junction, near the bus stop). Known for its freshly ground coffee from an Italian espresso machine. Recommended for breakfasts, for the variety of special sandwiches and wraps, large variety of mezethes, cakes and pastries (must try almond croissant). In the afternoons and evenings it's recommended to come for the BBQ, where you can have your choice of meat (chicken, beef and lamb) or sea food, marinated in variety of sauces and served with more than 10 types of salads, on a plate or in middle eastern Lafa. Top Choice at the 'South India & Kerala' Lonely Planet.

• Drupadi, near centre light (near the main entrance to the beach), [2]. Probably the best and most popular restaurant in Palolem. Serves a good variety of food and the service here is great with friendly waiter who are willing to go the extra mile to serve you. Tandoori fish specialty.

• Magic Italy, Palolem Beach Road, on the left as you approach the beach (Walk down short road towards the beach. It's on the left.). The best pizza in Palolem, possibly India. Try their Four Cheese or Spinach pizzas. Cosy, with a selection of tables or cushions on the floor. There is a takeaway version of this next to the coffee house on the beach road, but when we went, the pizza wasn't quite as good as the main branch. From 200 rs for a pizza.

• Smugglers' Inn, on the road running parallel with the beach.. Until late, open during wet season.. British run bar serving old favourites like fish and chips, bangers and mash, bacon sandwiches. Go here if you want a big mug of British tea and HP brown sauce. Sad to say, but since the change in management between the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, this place has slid downhill. The bacon and sausages, once its selling point, aren't what they used to be and there's no longer an inside, 'pubby' feel to it - in fact, it's not possible to sit inside any more. It's difficult to justify the higher prices now. Mains from Rs. 90.

• Yum Yum Tom Yum, (on the south side of the beach near the very end, you have to walk in about 100 m from the beach, ask for Pelton's if you have difficulty finding the place), ☎ +91 9049775449, +91 7798681077. Great Thai food cooked by a Thai woman. It is authentic and delicious. They have rooms available as well, but the food is the thing here. Friendly German-Goan guy and his Thai girlfriend run this place. Simple wooden tables. Visited in January 2011. It's difficult for me to agree with the assessment of the owner of this place as 'friendly' as he was busy viciously beating someone else's dog while we were eating dinner a few yards away. He was also loudly berating backpackers and English tourists to the Russian couple he was talking to. I'll always go back here because the food is spectacular, but I choose nights when he's not there.

• The Lotus Lounge. Located back from the beach, at the north end. It can be a challenge to find - head through Dream Catcher Cabins to the riverside location. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served seven days a week. The food is superb, of excellent quality with strong European influences. Real, French-press coffee is always available - a welcome relief from Nescafe everywhere else.
• Spicy Bella, main Road, near Bus Stop, ☎ 9923471292. spicy bella, main road ,near bus stop, ☎ 9923471292. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served seven days a week. The food is superb, of excellent quality freshly ground coffee from an Italian espresso machine.we have many variety of sea food. enjoy with us where east meet west in spicy bella........ edit
• D'Costa Bar & Restaurant, (Towards the right once you enter the beach from the parking area). This is a run of the mill place and you won't notice anything to make it stand out from the other beach shacks, but the service is great and food good value for money , you can spend the whole day here and use the beach beds if you have food here, the staff is very courteous to Indian and Foreign patrons alike. Once you get friendly with the staff you could ask them to let you buy the hard drinks from the wine shop in the parking lot , instead of ordering from bar and save on money. Good value for money , pizza's are really good.
• ROSEMARY BAR AND RESTAURANT (OUREM STREET), PALOLEM, ☎ 00919823469572. ROSEMARY BAR & RESTAURANT is based on the beach front in Palolem. We have Sea view Beach huts/rooms for rent. Please contact the above number for prices and bookings. Garden area with hammock for relaxing in, and listen to the water fountains. Pool Table. TV. Booze/Cocktail/Mocktail/Soft Drinks/Juice Bar. Wood Fire Oven Pizzeria. Full Menu, with Breakfast. Starters inc Fajitas. Continental Cusine * Rosemary Roast Chicken & Roast Beef. Pies.Pasta.Seafood. Indian/ Goan Food. Desserts. Come and pay us a visit, relax and chill out on the lounge beds, whilst listening to the music and watch the waves come in. We are next door to the NETWORLD CYBER CAFE

Drink

There are many places along the beach serving alcohol and are usually your best bet if you want to mingle and meet new people. Try the Sameer Restaurant or Café del Mar which are supposed to be quite happening. There are two places on the main road with cable so you can watch football.

Also Cuba bar on the main road just before you take a left towards the beach plays good music, has a pool table and great atmosphere.

The days of partys in Palolem are over now but there a few things happening at night, ask people. For a different experience try the Headphone Party at the Alpha Bar on Wed /Thur, its different!

• Euphoria Multicuise Veg Restaurant and Juice/Cocktail Bar. Located to the main road to Palolem Beach. Euphoria is a Fresh Fruit Juice and Cocktail Bar. Euphoria also specialises in quality Organic and Authentic Vegeterian Indian/Chinese Food for very cheap rates.
• ROSEMARY BAR AND RESTAURANT, OUREM STREET, PALOLEM, ☎ 00919823469572. Rosemary Restaurant on the beach front. Beach huts/ Rooms to rent. Garden. Pool Table. TV. Booze Bar. Juice Bar. Wood Fire Oven Pizzeria. Breakfast.Starters & Fajitas. Continental Cuisine. Seafood. Pasta. Indian. Desserts. Please contact the above number for hut/room prices and bookings. Come and visit us, chill out on the lounge beds whilst listening to the music, and watch the waves roll in.

Sleep

Budget

Beach Huts on Palolem Beach

Outside of New Year period, basic accommodation (rooms/shacks) should cost 200-500 rupees (200 for a very basic local-style room in October). Nice rooms with TV, etc. easily can go for around Rs.1000 or even more (often depending more on owner's ambitions than on room quality). If you're looking for the better value, try next beaches to the south (Colomb, Patnem) or even Agonda 10 km to the north.

There are plenty of beach shacks along Palolem Beach, not much point in booking as many of them don't answer the phone/take bookings. Usually your best bet is just to turn up and cross your fingers. Bear in mind that a local law prohibits permanent structures on the beach, so from May to October the shacks are supposed to come down (although this does not always happen!). Shacks should be 100% free of crawling insects. At Xmas and New Year it can get very busy and room rates are high, expect to pay a minimum of R500 / 700. The left hand side of the beach tends to be quieter with the right hand side where the bars / nightlife are. Cressida does good live music on Wednesdays. Local touts would gherao you once you hit the parking area , you can take there services , they would show you the shacks ,bargain hard with them. Most of the average cost shacks would cost about 500 -700 Rupees ( Nov 2011 prices) and are very basic , do check before you pay that it has clean bed sheets , and running water and the room has been cleaned up. Most of the shacks would have a mosquito net , however no a/c or hot water would be availbe in the room.

Don't forget to bargain for the prices of the beach huts - the more temporary it looks, the cheaper it's supposed to be. San Fransisco is one such place where a good shack above the restaurant can be had for INR 500 a night while a shack further inside the San Fransisco enclosure is 300-400 a night. The owner is very friendly, a family man, and protective of his foreigner guests. I remember that the waiters were also nice, to both Indians and foreigners alike and respected everyone's privacy. The only nit to pick here was the full course meal, but then you can drink here and move to a place like Draupadi - near the beach's main entrance from the road - for food.

Palolem Guest House is a nice place to stay if you don't like the beach shack concept. Neat & clean rooms are available from Rs. 600-1200 per night. WARNING: February 2009 - this place had a major BEDBUG problem, which the management of this guesthouse appeared entirely unwilling to address.

Virgin Beach resort which is just opposite the Om Sai guest house is a decent place to stay with budget accommodation available.

Le-Grand residency is opposite the turn to Palolem beach. The rooms are decent however there is some noise as the buses to Margao are parked just outside the hotel (opposite end).

The Palm Trees Patnem is right in the middle of Patnem. 3 minutes walking distance to the white sand beach. The resort is eco friendly and rooms are quite big, clean and decorated very nicely. The price changes around 1500 per night. The owners are very friendly and helpful with anything you would need.

• Le Palolem, tembewada, palolem, canacona (First left turn on the Patnem road from Palolem, 15 minutes to the beach.), ☎ 9158986815. A new 2-storey house in the quiet area which is called “Tembe Wada” - settlement on the hills. Spacious 2-rooms apartments (studio with kitchen + bedroom) with 2 balconies, air-conditioning, refrigerator and TV-set. Hot water shower is available all the time. Free wifi internet at 4Mbps. Connected with the InnJoy beach restaurant, so roomers can expect a discount and can use the sun lounge beds. Regular price is near Rs. 1200 - 1500 per night (out of the December-January), special offers for long-term rent. E-mail: lepalolem@gmail.com 30000/month.

Luke's Residence is the posh accommodation. Though it is almost 2 km off the beach on the road towards Patnem beach. (ahead of Cleopatra resorts).

Fernandes there are two on the right hand side (owned by brothers) and both offer good clean accommodation in some of the best beach huts on the beach.

Neptune's Point stands a bit aside of the beach (on its left side) on an rock ground. There are wooden huts with cold showers, beds, big balconies, and with views over the beach. The price - 850 INR per hut per night.

Sundowner at the north end of the beach, is a nice place to stay, if you enjoy peace and quiet. During high tide getting to the beach might be difficult but the resort's staff are very kind, and will offer you a ride by boat. Prices from 600 INR, depending on the season.

Ordo Sounsar close to Sundowner, also enjoys peace and tranquillity, but has the advantage of easy access when the tide is high, having its own bamboo bridge. Friendly Goan hosts, local Goan food in the restaurant, and the beach's best G & T's at the bar.

Allegra Cheap rooms, and friendly staff. However very basic, but located right on the beach behind the Hare Krishna Hare Rama Restaurant.

Home is cited by the major travel guides as a friendly, hospitable resort on Patnem beach, near Palolem. In fact, its owners are extremely disorganised and unpleasant; double-booking guests during peak season and refusing to acknowledge their mistakes, leaving would-be guests with no accommodation during the busiest time of year. Steer well clear.

• Om Sai Guest House, Palolem Beach (towards the north end of the Palolem market), ☎ +91 99 234 82112 (gauravm123@yahoo.co.in), [3]. checkin: noon; checkout: 11:00. Om Sai Guest House has AC and non-AC rooms with TV and refrigerator. Value for money, especially the AC rooms. Rs. 500-2,100.

• Sun Beach Residency, House no.200, Palolem Patnem road (Ahead of Cleopatra Resorts), ☎ +91-9819514908, [4]. checkin: 11:00; checkout: 11:00. 13 comfortably proportioned rooms-equipped with American size beds,en-suite bathrooms,LCD TVs,air-conditioning and afternoon verandahs. At the same time is a short stroll from the lively local market place, curio shops, famous Goan shacks and Palolem beach. INR 1300 onwards.

Mid range

Bhakti Kutir double hut

• Bhakti Kutir, 296, Colomb (Located on the hill, towards the southern part of the beach), ☎ +91 832 2643469 (bhaktikutir@gmail.com, fax: +91 832 2645211), [5]. Between Palolem and Patnem beaches. 0 or so cabanas, no two alike, fashioned from local materials like rice straw, bamboo and mud. Some on two floors. The tall palm trees will shield you from the hot sun and offer you cool nights. Everything was designed to respect the environment and the privacy of its guests. The restaurant is mainly vegetarian it also serves fresh sea food, wine and tribal liquors. Yoga classes, ayurvedic massages. The staff is very helpful, caring and friendly. Make sure to book in advance for the high season. Rs. 2,500-6,000.

• Ciaran's, (middle of Palolem Beach), ☎ +91 832 2643477 (hello@ciarans.com), [6]. A beachfront resort with AC garden cottages and non AC sea view cottages. With bar & restaurant. Friendly staff and management. Rs. 2,500-5,000.

• The Village Guesthouse, House No. 196 (near Govt Middle School, 10-minute walk from the beach), [7]. Guesthouse with 6 large double rooms and 2 small rooms, all AC. Friendly and helpful hosts. In the evening guests and hosts gather for a cocktail on the first floor veranda. Great atmosphere. Rs 2,400-5,000.

Splurge

• The Fern Gardenia Resort, Palolem-Agonda Road, Devabag (2 km from Palolem Beach), ☎ +91 832 2645400 (info@ferngardenia.com, fax: +91 832 2645405), [8]. checkin: noon; checkout: 10:00. A luxury resort, advertising itself as eco-sensitive, with 18 air-conditioned wooden cottages around a swimming pool in a lovely garden. With restaurant and pool bar. Rs. 2,800-10,000.

Stay safe

Palolem is a very safe place - the main risk you face is not wanting to leave.

One thing to bear in mind is the dog situation - Palolem is home to a multitude of stray and semi-stray dogs which can become very aggressive if you try to cross their territory. They very rarely bite, but can be quite frightening especially in packs. The beach dogs are not generally aggressive and the main problems they present are fleas and mange, but the dogs on the back roads away from the beach can be noisy and peevish. Many dogs in Goa are badly treated by their owners, and some have no owners at all. Please do not harm the dogs of Goa, but be aware that they can be a nuisance. The dogs in Palolem are friendly, it's only in nighttime you should be aware. The reataurants on the beach normally try to keep two dogs each to feed during the season. please don't try to take some dog out of their terrotory, it will be very difficult for the dog to get back because of other packs.

There were also people selling mehndi (similar to henna) carelessly mixed with cheaper chemicals.

Get out

The local train station is Canacona - less than 5 minutes drive from Palolem. It's very quiet with not many trains.

If you want more choice, get a taxi to Margao where you can link up with all the main lines. If you have a little extra time and you want to save money, take the local buses. Dirt cheap, respectful locals and careful drivers. For a taxi ride that would cost you 1000 Rs. upwards (depending on what the cabbie thinks he can make off of you), you could get there for 17 Rs.!!

Don't miss the chance to haggle with flashy yellow plate cars. These are taxis heading to the Airport. (Though all yellow plate cars are taxis, the flashy ones usually head to the airport. These are either returning back or heading to pick a prebooking. Haggle hard and you may settle for under Rs. 500, though only during the day. As the sun goes down, the price goes up, which is normal for all facilities.

If you are interested in exploring nearby places, like the Patnem beach about 2-3 kilometres away, rent a bicycle. Better yet, rent a scooter/motorcycle for about Rs.250 per day and explore the area even more conveniently. You can also take a nice 20 minutes walk to Patnem, just walk left over Columb. Rikshaw to Patnem is 50 rs in daytime, 70 rs in nighttime.

A little quieter (and more expensive) than Palolem is Agonda, a 15-minute autorickshaw trip north.